Rats Burrowing on the Edge in Monmouth Beach, NJ
Challenge
This homeowner in Monmouth Beach, NJ found mouse droppings in her mudroom and immediately called our office for help and we were sent out to inspect and treat. While inspecting the home, we found the droppings in the mudroom, but knew they weren't from mice — they were from Norway rats!
Norway rat droppings are capsule-shaped and are 1.8 to 2.0 cm long while mice droppings are about 1/8 of an inch long and are rice or grain shape. We were curious about how the rats were getting into the home since the property was sealed off fairly well and we didn't find droppings in any other areas of the house — until we discovered a tiny gap underneath the door leading into the backyard. We continued inspecting and that's where we found it — a rat burrow along the shoreline edge of the property!
Rat burrow holes are usually 2 to 3 inches wide and smooth from repeated use. Rat burrows usually contain a main entrance and one or two exit holes from the main entrance. Rats create these underground pathways from their nest to food sources, and, although they thrive in human habitats, prefer to stay hidden and they do their foraging at night.
Solution
To treat this infestation, we dusted the rodent burrows with a tracking power. This product gets on the rats' fur and they ingest it through grooming. Shortly after they are exterminated. We also set up several exterior rodent bait stations around the building and in the mudroom.
Once finished, we carefully removed the rat droppings and sealed the gap underneath the door with an Xcluder® Rodent Proof Door Sweep. This door sweep provides a barrier impenetrable to rodents and other pests, along with a durable weather seal. We will return on several follow-up visits to monitor the infestation and replace the bait in the stations as needed.
